"Hm," Huaisang says, flattening his lips as he thinks about that. After a moment he shrugs and looks to his poor attendant, who looks like he has several opinions that he very much wants to express. "Go and see to it, Toutong. Something near me."

The expression his attendant gives him is very nearly a glare, which Huaisang knows perfectly well is only a cover for his worry over Huaisang's safety. He knows he's being reckless, but he's not sure what else he can do, at this point. None of this is going as expected, and now it seems like his options are either to try and contain or defeat or drive off the demon--all of which seems likely to get some of his people killed in one way or the other--or to control the demon. And Huaisang has long since learned that the best way to control people is to find out what they want and then give that to them. He makes people like him, and then they do whatever he asks. It's always worked out well for him.

"What else?" he asks, refilling his cup yet again. He's starting to feel the liquor now, a looseness in his body and a blurring of his nerves, blunting the edge of his fear. "Have I forgotten anything?"